Holding on Until Tomorrow
by thegreatwhitewolf
Summary: Currently being


Summary: [AU] The Shinobi are slowly falling apart after their loss against the Urameshi team during the Dark Tournament. Friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends as everything gets turned upside down and inside out. Yaoi. TouyaxKurama

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Yu Yu Hakusho nor am I making any money by writing this.

Pairings: TouyaxKurama, KuwabaraxYukina, and YuskuexKeiko for starters.

Timeline: Begins in the middle of episode 38 and goes until the very end of the series (episode 112)

Warning: contains spoilers for the series. Also, there will be violence, gore, strong language, yaoi (malexmale pairings), mpreg (male pregnancy), sexual situations, rape, and much more. Warnings will come with each chapter.

A/N: I apologize a third time for rewriting this yet again, but I still wasn't satisfied with the way this turned out. Let's see if the third time really is the charm.

Chapter 1

Touya's body was in excruciating agony as he tried to force himself back to his feet before Koto finished counting to ten. Pain rippled through his muscles, but he continued to force himself up. He didn't care if his actions destroyed his body in the end as long as it defeated Kurama. He so badly needed this victory for his sect; they were already behind since Gama lost his match.

_I must not let Gama's sacrifice be in vain._ He thought.

Kurama watched Touya struggle to his feet, his emerald green eyes filled with a mixture of fear and pity. Yes, he was afraid the Ice Demon was going to get to his feet before Koto could count to ten, meaning that the battle would continue. He could not go on in his current state.

However, he also felt pity for the poor creature in front of him. His body was pushed to the maximum limit and yet he was still pushing. He was obviously exhausted, not to mention bleeding, but he had to keep going. He had no choice; Kurama could read it in his eyes. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, he had to win. He wasn't being given any other choice.

_It shouldn't be like this._ He thought, watching Touya propel himself upward with one hand while the other tried desperately to staunch his bleeding stab wound. _He's resigned himself to a cruel fate. He knows nothing else. But it shouldn't be like this._

Touya had managed to get himself into a crouching position when the last of his strength exited his body and he crashed forward, temporarily losing consciousness as his skull came in contact with the concrete ring.

When he came to, Kurama hadn't moved, his eyes still filled with pity.

"You have won…" Touya managed to choke out. "Now…please kill me."

He stared up at Kurama, conveying his emotions through his eyes. He had failed to attain a victory so his punishment was to be death. He was ready to accept it. He was not afraid.

Kurama's eyes slid closed. "I will not."

Touya gasped audibly, not expecting Kurama's response.

_Why?_ He asked silently.

Kurama's eyes opened as if he had heard the thought. "You never answered. What do you plan to do with this island…if you get it?"

"Who cares?" Touya choked out.

"I have spent years in the shadows," Kurama said, his voice laced with pain. "Interesting how unexpected…regret can appear. That's what this light does. I only…wanted to know if…you can make your life better…nobler…than mine has been."

Slowly, his eyes closed and Touya fully understood the impact of him sowing the seeds of the Death Plant into his body.

_What did he mean?_ Touya wondered.

It was the last thought he held onto before slipping back into unconsciousness.

When Touya came to again, he was laying on some sort of soft grass. The pain in his body had lessened considerably.

_I must be going numb._ He thought bitterly.

His sharp hearing picked up the sound of voices and he strained to understand what was being said.

"…spent my whole damn fortune on you."

"It will be…care of."

"Convince me."

There was a low laugh. "If you don't trust me, then why don't you use your influence one more time?"

_What?_ Touya thought. _What is he doing? What's going on? _

He could recognize Risho's oily voice anywhere, as well as that bastard who owned their team. They were planning something. He just didn't know what.

Touya managed to sit up without passing out and leaned against the wall behind him, breathing heavily. He tried to calm himself, keep his mind clear, and focused not on the pain, but the task in front of him.

He turned his head from side to side, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. He needed to know how much time had passed since the last time he had been conscious and what had happened during that period of time.

Gama's body was still where it was before, but the rest of his team was missing. There was a large hole to the right of where Jin had once been sitting and the seats in that area had been destroyed. Likewise, some seats in an upper area of the stadium had been destroyed.

_That's two._ Touya thought darkly. _I wonder who's left. _A chiming sound caught his attention.

"Upon reviewing the film of the last fight, it is discovered that Koto delayed her ten-count during Yusuke's first ring-out. Therefore, by a complete and unanimous decision, the fight between Yusuke and Jin has been ruled a double loss and therefore, Yusuke is ineligible for the duration of the round," a woman's voice said over the PA system.

"What?" Touya asked softly.

It didn't make sense. Something strange was going on. That ruling couldn't have been legitimate. But that meant…

He gasped softly as he realized that this was what Risho and the team owner were planning. Their team owner had used his influence to create a bogus ruling against Urameshi's team and no one would think twice about it. He felt sick.

_Is this what we've reduced ourselves to?_ Touya thought. _Judging how Urameshi's team has acted so far, I would say that they have fought with honor. And yet now…_ He shook his head in disgust. _Is this what we've fought for? What we've bled for? Is this what Gama died for?_

Touya struggled to his feet, ignoring the rapid pain shooting through his body. He grasped the wound left by Kurama and walked forward slowly.

"Risho," he said as he got to the edge of the ring and proceeded to pull himself up inch by inch. "This deceit has gone too far. Don't you see…we'll make a mockery of their sacrifices? Gama willfully gave his life so that we could win…not cheat our way out."

Risho seemed unaffected by Touya's powerful words as the smaller Shinobi came to stop by his side. "Hah. Spare me your romantic drivel, Touya." Touya's eyes narrowed and he hissed softly. He may have been smaller than Risho, but he was not to be underestimated. Risho turned to his teammate. "He fought for the light and now we're going to enjoy it."

Touya's eyes widened. "But honor…!"

Risho growled under his breath and formed a wristband of earth. He swung it around and it caught Touya in the chest.

"Nonsense!" he barked.

Blood spurted out of Touya's mouth as he felt his bones shatter. He sailed out of the ring and came to rest in the grass. He lay still for a moment, struggling to cling to consciousness. He lifted his head to stare at his so-called leader, disgust reflected in his eyes. The last thing he heard made him sick to his stomach.

"We must always keep our eye on the final prize, Touya. That's why I am the leader and you're the grunt."

_So this is your true face, Risho? This is what you believe in? You shame the Shinobi. This is not what we have spent our lives fighting for. This is not what Gama sacrificed his life for. _

Touya couldn't hold on any longer and his head dropped to the ground as he let the darkness take over his brain.

The stadium slowly emptied after the match between Team Masho and Team Urameshi came to a conclusion. Nobody noticed two demons slip into the stadium against the current of bodies.

"Hurry up, Chu," Rinku whined.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I kno' that. Quit yer whinin'," Chu muttered. He quickly scanned the stadium. "Now let's see. If I rememba correctly, Jin is up there…"

Chu crossed the arena with ease and climbed up the broken seats. It was not hard to spot Jin with his bright red hair. He was heavy, but not a burden for the larger demon. Chu was careful as he picked Jin up. He was no medical expert, but he could tell that Jin had been injured badly. He returned to where Rinku was waiting and gently placed Jin on the ground.

"See what you can do for this poor bugger while I get the other," Chu said, his voice uncharacteristically somber.

Rinku nodded and kneeled down by the unconscious demon. His hands began to glow as he transferred his healing powers to Jin's wounds.

Chu crossed the stadium again and found Touya exactly where he had fallen hours before. Risho had already been carried out, under the orders of his team owner, no doubt. It made Chu sick to think the owner didn't extend the courtesy to the other members who were still living. Chu knew Touya was still alive. His chest barely rose and fell but Chu could still hear him breathing.

"Poor bloke," he murmured, staring down at Touya's still form.

He had seen Touya try to stand up for what he thought was right and he had gotten knocked down by his own teammate for it. It disgusted Chu to no end. That was why he was so keen to help—he couldn't let an honorable demon like Touya die. He bent over and scooped Touya into his arms with ease. The Shinobi warrior weighed next to nothing. He carried Touya across the arena, back to where Rinku was finishing up with Jin.

The Wind Master sat up and looked around dazedly. He caught sight of Touya in Chu's arms and gave a startled cry. He leapt to his feet, then stumbled.

"Easy, mate. Doan overdo it in your state," Chu murmured. "Rinku was able to heal ya, but it'll be a while before your energy returns."

"Touya! Is Touya all right?" Jin asked anxiously, rushing forward.

"I dunno," Chu answered gravely. "He's still breathin', but I doan know how long that's gonna last."

"But how did he get to be like dis?"

"Now's not the time to be thinkin' about tha'. We gotta get him help before he bites the dust." Chu's tone was gentle. Jin nodded.

Touya's vision was fuzzy the next time he opened his eyes and breathing was incredibly painful. The rest of his body seemed to be numb. He could hear voices, although he couldn't fully comprehend what they were saying.

"…severely fractured…ribs and his sternum. Blood is filling his lungs…his stab wound…losing even more blood…not much we can do for him but make him comfortable. I'm sorry." The speaker was a male and he had the tone of a doctor or some other medical professional.

"…anything…done?" a voice Touya dimly recognized as Jin's asked anxiously.

"At this point nothing…really…done."

"How long?"

"It depends…how long…takes…blood to fill his lungs and cut off his oxygen supply. A couple hours, maybe. If…lucky…impossible…what sort…internal damage…done."

"Thank you, doctor."

Touya's eyes slid closed, his brain unable to deal with everything he had just learned.

Kurama spent most of the day recuperating from his fight against Team Masho. It had taken him several hours to extract the Death Plant from his body and patch up his wounds with help from Yusuke and the others. With that done, he couldn't do anything more than wait for his strength to return.

Once he was strong enough to move around, he traveled to the infirmary to see how Jin and Touya were doing. He had not told the others where he was. They had enough to deal with on their own.

He pushed the door to the infirmary open and entered. He inquired of Jin and Touya and a nurse pointed him in the right direction. He crossed the infirmary to the corner the nurse had pointed out to him. There was a single bed in the corner and a tall, muscular figure with vibrant red hair sitting in a chair.

"Jin?" Kurama asked softly, stepping forward. Jin turned and Kurama gave a soft gasp; tears streaked down the Wind Master's face. "Jin, what's wrong?"

"It's Touya," Jin answered, his normally cheerful voice struggling to stay level. "He's dyin'."

"What?" Kurama asked, his breath leaving him.

"The doctor looked at him and said tha' there's nothin' they can do for him. He's jus' hurt too badly."

"I'm so sorry," Kurama murmured. "You and Touya are close?"

"Yeah." Jin nodded. "We've been friends for a real long time."

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Kurama asked.

"The doctor said he broke his ribs an' s..st…sturnym?" Jin stumbled over the unfamiliar medical word.

"Sternum," Kurama supplied.

"Right." Jin nodded. "Dat's what it was. An' blood's fillin' his lungs an' he's bleeding from da stab wound too."

"That's awful."

"I kno'. I feel so helpless. I can't do anythin' ta help him. I gotta jus' sit here and watch him die!"

"He doesn't deserve this," Kurama murmured.

"No," Jin agreed.

"May I take a look at him?" Kurama asked.

"It woan do any good, but all righty." Jin shrugged.

He moved out of the way and allowed Kurama to step forward. Kurama inhaled sharply as he stared down at Touya. The Ice Demon was truly pitiful. His normally calm face was twisted in agony and his thin lips were clenched together. The sheets around him were stained in crimson and caked blood covered his torn shirt. His breathing was shallow and labored and there was a faint gurgling sound at the back of his throat as blood pooled into his lungs and restricted the flow of oxygen to the rest of his body. Kurama gently placed a hand on Touya's forehead. The skin was clammy.

"He's been in and out of consciousness since we brought him in," Jin said. "The doctor says he's barely aware of us, though."

"It's good." Kurama's tone was gentle. "It's a sign that he still has some fight left in him." He withdrew his hand from Touya's forehead and leaned in closer. "Touya? Can you hear me?" He swore he could see some faint flicker of life in the Ice Demon, though it was gone in an instant. He straightened up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to see someone who may be able to help. I'll return soon, all right?"

"Okay." Jin nodded.

Kurama walked out of the infirmary and did not return for quite some time. When he did return, he had a young female demon with him. She was rather pretty.

"This is Yukina," Kurama said, gesturing to her. "I believe she can be of some assistance to Touya."

"Yes." Yukina nodded. "I have healing powers. They aren't very strong, but I can at least help him." She stepped forward. When she saw Touya's battered form, she gave a soft cry. Her hands flew to her mouth. "He's so battered!"

"Yes," Kurama said grimly. "Do you think you can help him?"

"I can try." Yukina gently placed her hand on Touya's chest.

She concentrated and a green light was emitted from her hand. There was a faint cracking sound as Touya's bones realigned themselves. Yukina withdrew her hand and placed it over the stab wound Kurama had created. It shrank in size.

"That's all I can do for now," she said sadly.

"You have done enough. Thank you," Kurama said gently. Yukina left. Kurama turned to Jin. "I'll be right back."

Jin nodded, his eyes fixed on Touya. The small demon seemed to be breathing a little easier now. Kurama entered the room again, carrying bandages in his arms. He gently set them on the table by Touya's bed and removed Touya's torn clothing. He covered Touya's lower body with a sheet and started dressing the wounds with the utmost care. When he had finished, he turned to Jin.

"Can you help me?" he asked.

"Yeah." Jin nodded, eager to help. "Tell me what you want me to do."

The next thing Touya was aware of was that he was being supported by someone in a sitting position. A glass was pressed to his lips. He firmly clenched them together so that no liquid could escape past.

"Come on Touya. Please drink this. It'll help you feel better," a new male voice encouraged. He could recognize the voice, but he couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"Yeah. Listen to Kurama. He knows what he's doin'," Jin added.

Finally, Touya conceded and allowed a bit of liquid past his lips. He was aware of a slightly bitter taste as the liquid trickled down his throat. His immediate reflex was to cough, though doing so hurt his chest considerably. Once he was through, the glass was pressed to his lips once more. He parted them and more liquid trickled down his throat. Some of it escaped down the side of his chin, but he barely took notice.

"Easy does it, Touya. Don't drink too fast," Kurama said gently.

Finally, the glass was empty and it was taken away.

"Jin, help me lay him back down. Be gentle with him," Kurama ordered.

Touya felt several hands grab him and ease him onto his back. A few minutes passed where nothing happened. But his vision was clearing. He could see the fuzzy shapes of Kurama and Jin peering anxiously at him.

"Hey. How are ya feelin'?" Jin asked. Touya managed to utter a low groan which conveyed exactly how he was feeling. "Yeah, dat's what I thought." Jin laughed sourly.

"Take some rest, Touya," Kurama said gently. "You really need it."

Touya didn't question why the red-haired demon was there—his head hurt too much to try and work through it all. Instead, he did what Kurama had said, letting his eyes fall closed, and his mind relax.

Kurama checked to make sure the Ice Demon was fully asleep before moving.

"If anything changes, be sure to let me know," he said softly. "I'll try and return when I can to check on him."

Jin nodded. There was a pause. "Kurama…I don't know how I'll ever thank you for dis. It means so much to me. You've saved Touya from death. How can I ever repay ya?"

"There's no need," Kurama said with a smile. "I'm glad I was able to save him from a terrible fate. I respect him a lot. He has a strong sense of honor and he's not afraid to stand up what he believes in. Take good care of him. Don't let Risho taint him." Then, he turned and departed from the infirmary without throwing a backwards glance.

From the Author

I've had this chapter done for a really long time. I just never got around to typing it up and posting it. -_-;;

I decided to use the English spelling of Touya's name because I like the way it looks a lot more than the Japanese Toya. I don't know why, but seeing his name spelled Toya bugs me. It just doesn't look right.

I love the scene between Touya and Risho during episode 41. It always gives me chills. And it makes me hate Risho even more. I think this is one of the reasons why I love Touya so much. He's not afraid to stand up to Risho and say that there's something wrong with the way you're going about things. That and he's just so freaking awesome. I wish he had more of a role in the series.

I struggled a bit with Risho's line, "Spare me your romantic drivel, Touya" because the Japanese version is, "You'd best lose that pandering romanticism of yours!" I wasn't sure what "pandering" meant so I looked it up. It can either be used as a noun or a verb. The verb simply means to act as a pander. And pander means "a go-between in sexual intrigues; a procurer; pimp" or "one who administers to the passions or base desires of others". XDD Maybe I'm taking this the wrong way. Anyone have any ideas about this? I'm sticking with the English version though.

Adding in Chu and Rinku is my way of trying to fill the big gaping plothole that occurs when Jin and Touya show up outside the stadium at the beginning of episode 50 in the company of Rinku and Chu even though there's no evidence that they had met prior to this. Grr, I hate plotholes with a vengeance. And I'm apologizing right now if Chu is really out of whack. I can't understand half the things the guy says.

Uhh…I think Rinku has healing powers. Even if he didn't before, he does now.

Sorry about Jin too. Another hard guy to understand. I love the accent, but it's so freaking difficult to decipher what he's saying.

I can't see Jin knowing much about medicine. He just doesn't seem the type. His friendship with Touya will be explained in more detail later on. It's not really explained if Touya and Jin are friends, though that can kind of be implied since they're always in each other's company. So I'm going to create my own back story.

I know there are a lot of differences between Demons and Humans but I'm making them similar in regards to their anatomy to make it easy on myself. Because I know a lot about anatomy and physiology. Not a lot is said about demons throughout the series so I'm taking creative license here. Don't get all mad if it's not a hundred percent correct.

I'm still working on an outline for this. Right now, I'm at 25 chapters, although I'm thinking about splitting some of them up because they'll be insanely long if I don't. I'm almost all the way through the Sensui arc so there's still quite a ways to go.


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